Not worth it at the dollar store: napkins

Dollar stores are great places to find bargains on any number of household needs but you can't always assume that, just because it's only $1, you're automatically getting the most bang for your buck. Prices and quantities may vary according to stores in your town, but going by my shopping list, here are 10 things you might want to go elsewhere for:

1-ply napkins

At a penny a piece, getting 100 napkins for a buck is a pretty good deal. But, as with many things, the more you buy, the more you'll save. Buy a package of 350 napkins at Wal-mart for $2.94 and you pay less than a penny per napkin. If you've got kids and go through a lot of paper products, the savings can really add up.

Of course, if you head over to the kitchen products aisle and buy some cloth table napkins that you can re-use, you might find an even better bargain. Even if you pay $1 for each one, you'll end up saving money down the road. On a similar note, my dollar store sells Scotties Supreme 3-ply Tissues for $1 a box but, if you buy in bulk at Costco, you'll get 15 boxes of tissues for only 92 cents a box, a savings of 8 cents over the dollar store price.